Nevertheless, despite these great features, and the high price tag that comes along with this new phone, it’s still lacking in many respects. Perhaps Windows smartphones are still too new and it will take a bit more time for them to catch up to the Apple iPhone and the many versions of Android smartphones on the market from competing brands like LG, HTC, Nokia, and Motorola.
However, if you’re still thinking about investing into a Windows 8 phone, read on to get a clear look at some of the major cons of the Samsung Galaxy Ativ S and other Windows phones like it.
Lack of Apps
When it comes to apps, Windows phones come in last place. While the majority of app developers cater first to the iPhone market, then to the Android smartphones available, and finally to Windows phones, they’ve been very slow in getting the bulk of the most popular apps to run properly on Windows phones, and the Samsung Galaxy Ativ S is no exception. |
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The Facebook app for the Samsung Galaxy Ativ S, for example, is very slow and sometimes outright unresponsive, whereas it runs great on Android phones and iPhones. Other social networking apps, such as Twitter, are also not as great to work with on the Samsung Galaxy Ativ S.
Windows 8 smartphones also don’t offer Google Maps, which is a very popular and reliable navigation tool found on other smartphones. Instead, the Samsung Galaxy Ativ S has Bing Maps, which is fine for basic tasks but falls short compared to the capabilities of Google Maps.
And when it comes to directions, if you need basic directions, Bing Maps on the Samsung Galaxy Ativ S works fine, but don’t expect to find alternate routes or help with public transportation without needing to download other apps for that kind of assistance. And what’s worse is that drivers don’t get spoken directions as they’re navigating roads, which is a feature that comes standard on many other Android models.
Browsing the Internet is So-So
When surfing the internet on the Samsung Galaxy Ativ S, you have to deal with Internet Explorer, as you will not be able to use Chrome, Safari, or Firefox on Windows smartphones. This may disappoint some users, especially when they realize that Android browsers are generally more functional than this browser.Also, because the Samsung Galaxy Ativ S runs only on 3G speeds, if you are expecting the power of 4G, you will be sorely let down. Nevertheless, if you are browsing using 3G or Wi-Fi connections, you should be fine once you adapt to the way the browser on this smartphone operates and what its limitations are.
Laura GinnAbout the Author:
Laura Ginn wanted to learn more about Windows 8 smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy Ativ S, including features and pricing information. She decided to search through uSwitch.com, one of the UK’s leading comparison websites, for all of the details as well as the best deals on Windows 8 phones.